The present invention is directed toward a system for installing a floor covering, such as a carpet, on a preexisting carpet or floor and more particularly, toward a system which includes a sheet which prevents the floor covering from moving when the covering is installed.
Generally speaking, laying broadloam is often a difficult process, mainly because the carpet itself is not completely dimensionally stable. That is, when one walks across broadloam carpet that has been installed, it can shift in lateral directions or stretch. One method for laying broadloam carpet on a floor is by first applying an adhesive to the floor which bonds the carpet to the floor, thereby improving the stability. Another method involves an adhesive carrier which looks like a large, flexible screen and has pressure sensitive adhesive on both sides. The screen is adhered to the floor and the carpet is then unrolled directly on top of the screen. However, this procedure does not add any stability and requires special procedures to keep the carpet from moving or stretching.
Using carpet tiles is also another method for installing broadloam carpet but is undesirable. That is, because broadloam carpet is itself dimensionally unstable, one cannot create carpet tiles by simply cutting broadloam since the tiles would also become dimensionally unstable. Therefore, carpet tiles must be specially made. This is done by applying dimensionally stable backing materials to the back of the broadloam carpet and then cutting the carpet into large squares. This, however, is an expensive procedure.
Existing systems for installing broadloom carpet or carpet tiles over existing carpet rely on aggressive hot melt seaming tape or aggressive pressure sensitive seaming tapes to join pieces, to stop growth in traffic lanes, to stop shifting of carpet, and to stop deterioration of the edges; all of which occurs from the inability of the tape to eliminate stretch and flex at the edges of the carpet. Additionally, existing tapes will grow and stretch when subject to heavy rolling traffic. The hot melt tape physically bonds the top carpet to the carpet underneath. This eliminates the seam problem; however, it can cause lumps and is impractical if the carpet is to be cut into small pieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,040 to Murphy et al. discloses a carpet underlay comprising a fibrous, non-woven fabric and having an adhesive applied to one or both sides of the underlay. The underlay is applied to the underside of a carpet and the carpet is then laid on a floor. This patent discloses that the underlay is first adhered to the carpet, however, this underlay does not add or improve the dimensional stability of the products involved.